Saturday, April 2, 2016

If you recall the discussion about the rezoning of the Gulfstream hotel property which drew much public attention, there was another rezoning issue that came up in July of 2015 that would have created much more impact on the daily lives of residents and their residential property.

The difference was this 'other' rezoning issue went mostly under the radar of the public and didn't draw too much attention after all the fuss and uproar that was initially created. To say that many in the community were outraged at the possibility of "up-zoning" their residential neighborhood would be an understatement: the response was quick and loud. Many in real estate sales and other ancillary businesses also took quick notice of this idea and made their thoughts known.

Below is a short excerpt from this very long blog post about a rezoning idea that was being promoted by some residents to greatly broaden the scope and definition of "home occupation" here in the City:

"The re-zoning of a tiny parcel, a part of a City block, for the Gulf Stream hotel project is the big news of the day but there was another re-zoning story that created quite the fuss in July. This is, I think, a study in contrasts and how powerful an 'impact' a zoning change can make. It comes down to whether that impact is, on balance, positive or negative for the community."

The subject of home occupations is on next Tuesday's (4/5) City Commission agenda, Exhibit G (pages 224–225; use this link and scroll down to the "Apr 5, 2016 Regular Meeting" and click on "Full Version". Below are two screen grabs from the agenda:

Note the old rules are replaced by new language that is underlined. The rules are much more clear.

More added language defining what "home occupations" can and cannot do.

Check back to this blog for more on this zoning issue and many other issues in the community. And, as always, Thank You! for visiting my blog, Wes.

HH Lake Worth, has no involvement of any kind [emphasis added] in the business of Treatment Center LLC nor in any of the day to day operations of the company or any of its affiliates. HH Lake Worth is the landlord and lessor of the location and structure.

We are now aware of the incidents and situations that have occurred last week as it relates to Treatment Center LLC and that location. We wish to express our sincere condolences and sympathies to the families involved.

We have formally begun eviction proceedings to remove Treatment Center LLC from this location. This will be accomplished in the most expedient manner permitted by law."

If you have any questions, here is contact information:Mark Adrian Hudson Holdings, LLCPhone: 561-768-7621Fax: 561-274-2158madrian@hudsonholdings.com

This image is of Capt. Silva on one of his many community "crime walks" in the little City of Lake Worth.

Jorge Millan at The Palm Beach Post has this news which also appears in today's (3/31) print edition, page B2, above the fold. Here is an excerpt:

Capt. Rolando Silva, former commander of PBSO’s Lake Worth district, has replaced [Cpt. Jay] Hart. Silva was credited by Lake Worth residents for setting up crime watch programs in the city. [emphasis added] The Wellington district is comprised of 39 patrol deputies, seven sergeants, three detectives and a lieutenant among others, according to PBSO’s website.

The video below of a community crime walk in Lake Worth was taken by PBSO. The only news media (other than this blog) to report on this was the local paper of record, TheLake Worth Herald.

Prior to this particular community event last year all the media (print and TV news) in Palm Beach County was alerted and not a single one showed up. Not one. Good news from the county media about PBSO takes a back seat, you see—especially news that shows our District 14 in a positive light here in the City of Lake Worth.

Here is why: The "LW2020" Bond vote that would have made money available to fix the City's streets failed by just 25 votes in 2014. A former City mayor who moved to the Great Walled City of Atlantis many years ago joined up with a City resident to form a PAC that defeated the bond vote. Read about that using this link. Remember these yard signs:

If you voted AGAINST the "LW2020" Bond you voted to NOT FIX all the roads and potholes.

Now you know why those potholes aren't getting fixed.

Here are two excepts from the text of the news segment by NBC5/WPTV's Alex Hagan:

"They're all over our area this time of year, but on 2nd Avenue South in Lake Worth, they are severe.'Absolutely! I have never seen anything like that,' says Else Kekki of Lake Worth. Kekki says a stretch outside her home between Dixie Highway and J Street isn't getting better. She's not alone along this block. Randy Ferguson says just about everybody's had alignment issues. After driving down J Street daily the repairs have put a dent in his wallet."

[and. . .]

"Lake Worth's City Manager says they are aware of the problem, but funds aren't there. A community-wide discussion will be held soon on where to come up with the money."

Interestingly, one of the biggest opponents to the "LW2020" Bond vote recently wrote a Letter to the Editor at the Post:

If this letter writer was expecting an outpouring of public emotion for his selfish plight, he badly misjudged the public mood (as evidenced in the recent landslide March 15th elections).

Here is the video of the segment by WPTV:

Friday, April 1, 2016

FYI: For the Bring Home the Atlanta Braves Facebook page use this link and make sure to "Like"!

The Lake Worth Herald is Lake Worth's oldest business, starting in 1912. If you would like to see more of what's in this week's issue, use this link. If you would like to pick up the print edition go to the City's news stand at 600 Lake Ave across the street from Starbuck's. A nice man named Andy will assist you. Without further ado, here is this week's editorial:

"With meetings continuing between Atlanta Braves’ Management and Local Government it appears there is still active interest in a building a stadium in John Prince Park. Having a Spring Training Camp for the Atlanta Braves right in our backyard will increase business opportunities in the area, creating jobs and filling restaurants in all of the communities surrounding the Park. It will give local youth the opportunity to interact with professional ball players and gain inspiration to become the best they can be. I remember the many trips to the former West Palm Beach Municipal Stadium to watch spring training games as a youth. We weren’t there to cause problems, we were there to learn from and emulate the players on the field. The players interacted with us after games and we had many opportunities to go and watch their practices, picking up pointers from them. Yes, a stadium will bring traffic to the area, traffic we dearly need in the business world. Traffic of people who need people to wait on them, assist them and provide the necessities they need while visiting the area to watch their favorite teams compete during the spring while they are vacationing in sunny South Florida.We support local government in their effort to bring Spring Training and Grapefruit League Baseball to the area, like it used to be."

This item will likely appear in the agenda at the next City Commission meeting on Tuesday, April 3rd. We'll need a big turnout to support the Brave's in John Prince Park!

Lake Worth Mayor Triolo is excited about the Braves. She would love to see a big turnout of support at the next City Commission meeting.

*A "Pinned Post" is a blog post kept at the top, or near the top of this blog, for a period of time to be determined by Your's Truly. Please scroll down for new blog content. And, as always, thank you for visiting my Lake Worth blog, Wes.

Here is the latest article by the Post's Joe Capozzi. Information in this article confirms my earlier observations for the Atlanta Braves organization (and other interested parties) to watch out for: The opposition will engage in tactics to greatly over-inflate their community support.

Another favorite opposition tactic is to falsely accuse well-known public officials of corruption and criminal activity to draw attention to themselves and their cause du jour.

Here is what the opposition is planning to do starting today (Friday):

One resident is spreading word about the meeting with a mobile billboard that will towed around the park every day this weekend starting at 11 a.m. Friday. The billboard – “STOP ATLANTA BRAVES IN JOHN PRINCE PARK” — will make continuous loops on major roads around the park until 7 p.m. daily, including Monday.

Here is a quote about the 'environmental impact':

“Not in our county park. It would be an environmental nightmare,’’ said Lynn Anderson, a Lake Worth resident.

Interestingly, and slightly off topic, this is the same Lynn Anderson that did everything she could to save an invasive Australian Pine on her condo property from being cut down. That tree, in a strong storm, would have severed power lines and put her neighbors safety and property at risk. Then there's this curious quote by her long-time comrade, Katie McGiveron (note: her name is misspelled in the article):

“We are not against the Atlanta Braves in Palm Beach County. Just not in
John Prince Park. That park is used by people who can’t afford to buy a
ticket to a spring training game,’’ said Katie McGivern[sic], president of
the Residents of Lake Osborne Heights homeowners association.

McGiveron may be confused about the actual size of John Prince Park. At 726 acres in size there would still be a lot of space for visitors to enjoy. And did you know baseball parks qualify as Green space?

And you may find this item of interest: Both Anderson and McGiveron donated money to, and campaigned for, the Anarchist Ryan Hartman who tried challenging their very own District One commissioner, Scott Maxwell. The Anarchist lost in a landslide, by the way.

Anyhow, prepare for more antics and theatrics from this crew. For what they lack in support they try to disguise with lots of loud noise, big signs, and maybe they'll even start sending out some "Dear Neighbor" letters too.

Now for a real treat! Watch Anderson and McGiveron at a Lake Worth Commission meeting. They are the two standing at the dais facing to the left: McGiveron is on the left and Anderson on the right. If you're short on time start watching at the 5:00 mark and see what happens at the 5:45 mark! Hope you enjoy the music of "A Night On The Bald Mountain" by the Munich Symphony Orchestra:

To read the entire editorial use this link for The Coastal Star. Here is an excerpt:

"Spring? Already? It seems too soon for hurricane predictions, rising humidity and transport trucks heading north. But here it is April. Where did winter go? It was a busy season along the coast, filled with the usual array of lovely philanthropic and cultural events, gatherings of friends and family and outdoor leisure time at the beach, patio or pool — when it wasn’t raining. Seems like it rained a lot this winter. Now, it’s time to embrace April and brace for summer. May–October is no longer the slow season. The local economy is booming and, as a result, there’s a lot of change afoot in our community. This is Florida, after all. Boom times always bring change. And much of that change happens over the summer, when municipal budgets are set and fewer people are around to challenge (or support) the decisions of their local officials.

Here is latest information from WPBF about the case of Zika in Palm Beach County from the "Web Staff" at WPBF at 6:02 on March 30th:

PALM BEACH COUNTY, Fla. —The first case of the Zika virus in Palm Beach County is reported by the Department of Health officials. This brings the total Zika cases in Florida to 76, according to the Florida Department of Health. Of those 76 cases, three cases are currently being monitored as the patients are exhibiting symptoms of Zika. Palm Beach County has been added to the Declaration of Public Health Emergency, a list of areas that are affected by a disease or disorder that presents a public health emergency.

Below is what the "Web Staff" reported earlier on March 30th, at 2:43 in the afternoon:

"Zika in Lake Worth"? Note that this 'news' was corrected later in the day. How many people saw this on WPBF?

If this doesn't make the case for an ombudsman to monitor the TV news in Palm Beach County, what does? What are they trying to do? Start a public panic?

Read about another story from WPBF and why an ombudsman is necessary to monitor the substandard TV news reporting in Palm Beach County.

The Zika virus information hotline by the Florida Department of Health is 1-855-622-6735. Here is the website with more information.

The looming threat that Commissioners Ryan Maier and his associate, Chris McVoy, would spike up electric rates to fix the Casino debacle and fund their wish lists is no longer. The landslide elections last March took care of that. However, if Maier and McVoy had gotten just one more friend to join them on the dais it would have been a completely different story.

The people of Lake Worth made the right choices on election day, last March 15th.

Crews will temporarily
close the following intersection to perform construction improvements
necessary for the introduction of the Brightline passenger rail service:

12th Ave South at the Florida East Coast (FEC) Railway from TODAY, Friday, April 1st at 7:00 a.m. through Monday, April 4th, 6:00 p.m.

For more information on the future road closures and a map of traffic detours in the area, please visit this website.All Aboard Florida is a transportation and real estate company creating
urban living spaces and incorporating a passenger train service. The
company is currently building Brightline, along with transit oriented
developments in Miami, Fort Lauderdale and West Palm Beach. All Aboard
Florida was established in 2012 and is a part of Florida East Coast
Industries—one of the state's oldest infrastructure and
transportation companies.

Thursday, March 31, 2016

Start thinking about the upcoming hurricane season. An inspection of trees and brush around your home is something to take note of. The City's Vegetation Amnesty Week is coming up (5/23–5/27). During Amnesty Week it doesn't matter what day
your usual vegetation pick-up is: You can
put vegetation out on any day and not be cited by the City.

And, by the way, did you get one of these cards on your door?

For more information on schedules, recycling, refuse pickup, etc., use this link to the City's Public Services Dept.

There are four zones in Lake Worth for waste collection and each zone is on a different schedule. For instance, the card above is for the northeast area of the City (Zone 3), which is north of Lake Ave and east of Dixie Hwy. Some important things to keep in mind:

Each month there is a "Bulk" pickup—no vegetation is picked up on that day. Construction waste IS NOT considered residential bulk waste.

[UPDATE: If you didn't know, JoAnn Golden now wants Lake Worth to be a City "we're all proud of". This is following the lawsuit filed against the historic Gulfstream hotel, promoting the Anarchist Ryan Hartman for a City Commission seat, maligning the City at every opportunity, etc., etc,. etc. Read about all that using this link.In what will likely anger and dismay a lot of people in Lake Worth. . . this coming Sunday at the ATLANTIS COUNTRY CLUB, Ms. Golden will apparently be updating the PALM BEACH ACLU on her monitoring of the "situation" here in Lake Worth vis-à-vis the City's work to make the Cultural Plaza a safer place for children and others of the public. To learn more about this continue reading:]

To say this will anger a lot of people here in the City of Lake Worth, and elsewhere, is an understatement: JoAnn Golden is preparing to trash Lake Worth again. You might hear about it this time at the ACLU's (Palm Beach Chapter) Annual meeting (Sunday, April 3rd) to be held in (of all places) the Great Walled City of Atlantis' Country Club (admittance is $35 and includes lunch too!).

The last assault against the City to make the homeless the primary issue in Lake Worth failed but now Golden seems prepared to ramp things up once again. First some background: An attempt was made leading up to the March 15th elections to make homelessness the overriding issue in Lake Worth politics taking priority over every other problem that needs to be addressed: public safety, unsafe roads, crumbling sidewalks, inadequate street lighting, and missing fire hydrants are just a few of them.

It turned out that effort by Golden et al. failed to gain traction with the public, especially those living with substandard roads and crumbling sidewalks.

Remember how we were treated by "Mr. Snarky" who attended a City Commission meeting to lecture the City's residents on homelessness and suggested the City spend millions of dollars on a new homeless shelter? Protests were staged at City Hall and the public was misinformed about a "curfew", the latter appearing in a Palm Beach Post headline and, of course, CBS12/WPEC did their part.

On top of all that, 'Protesters' were shipped in from Ft. Lauderdale and elsewhere. The residents, along with City staff and some elected officials, were impugned and maligned for no good reason, other than to score political points and gain visibility in the media prior to the March elections.

The 'situation' about our City making a park safe for the public, "continues to be monitored."

Before long is Golden going to force Lake Worth to defend ANOTHERlawsuit? She already has one filed against the City regarding the rezoning of the historic Gulfstream hotel. She has tremendously deep pockets from her successful family business. Now, the City may again be a target because the City tried to make parks safer for its residents and their children.

In conclusion, watch Ms. Golden in the video below at a Lake Worth City Commission meeting. She praises the city of West Palm Beach for their efforts to help the homeless. If you have kept up with the news, West Palm Beach has had its time in the headlines regarding this issue.

Of her comments in the video, these words stand out when she says this about Lake Worth, her own City of residence:

"Imagine if a boatload of refugees came on our shore here, how would we feel? I'd be ashamed to say we'd probably take out guns and get rid of 'em."

Wednesday, March 30, 2016

The beat reporter would be the Post's Kevin Thompson (if you have news you wish to share, his contact information is below). Below are two excerpts from this story:

LAKE WORTH — This seaside town got a nice shout-out in the spring/ summer issue of the Palm Beach Relocation Guide, which called the city a “vibrant” community and an “extraordinary place where tranquility meets creativity.”

[and. . .]

The article also cited the city’s hip downtown, historic structures and distinctive residential neighborhoods, saying the city is the geographic and artistic center of Palm Beach County.[emphasis added] “This isn’t just a lifestyle,” the article said. “It’s an art form.”

Learn more about the many resources of information available on the City's website using this link.

If you have something to share, like an upcoming event in Lake Worth, suburban Lake Worth, or Greenacres, here is how you contact the Post reporter:Email: kthompson@pbpost.com
561-820-4573
And he's on Twitter too:

Some of you will recall the background on this Lake Worth kerfuffle from last June in the fallout following the March 2015 election cycle. What led up to Vice Mayor Scott Maxwell and Commissioner Andy Amoroso being depicted they way they were (see video below) isn't the point. The point is this:

"The First Amendment is very important, but it's not everything."
—Anthony Lewis

This is a very enlightening post you can read yourself using this link. For those of you interested in "Complete Streets", road design, walkability, and bike-ability, Mr. Bailey's thoughts you'll find of interest:

"FDOT, the City of West Palm Beach, and numerous other local municipalities have adopted a Complete Streets policy. Given the funding at stake and the consensus for building complete streets, I would expect Palm Beach County to follow suit soon. Let’s hope this policy allows for contextual design, rather than copy and paste road design that led to highway scaled roads in places where they don’t belong in the era of suburbanization. I’m all for Complete Streets, but applying rules without regard to context could lead to regrettable outcomes like those that resulted from misapplying highway design to urban streets. [emphasis added] Thankfully, by all accounts the FDOT Complete Streets effort has an amazing champion in Billy Hattaway, and the guidance is going to be much more contextual than rules based, from my understanding. Our local cities and county could do well to follow a similar approach to their guidance."

For those of you in Lake Worth with an interest in this topic, Mayor Pam Triolo is the City's liaison to the Palm Beach MPO. From things I've heard from the dais recently know that exciting things are on the horizon per the mayor's comments. She's excited and so should you. Stay tuned.

When I first heard about the mailer sent out by the Frank McAlonan campaign attacking Commissioner Amoroso's record in the last elections, like almost everyone, the first reaction was anger—which is partly the intent. If I were to guess, McAlonan was as surprised as anyone else to learn about that ridiculously, bizarre mailer (see below).

This is a tactic that's used prior to elections to depress voter turnout. Its purpose is to get people angry about the political process and tune out "all the noise". The risk is you might depress your own supporters too. It was a 'roll of the dice' and McAlonan's campaign organization took the chance. Ooooops.

Of all 4 challengers, only Mr. McAlonan called his opponent to offer congratulatory comments.

This is the mailer in question:

This mailer from McAlonan's campaign organization was "throwing everything at the wall and seeing what sticks." Continue reading as we try to solve the "$5 million" mystery:

Nobody can figure out for certain where this "$5 million" figure comes from, other than from desperation leading up to election day. I've tried to figure it out and you can read more about that here. A few days after this mailer was dropped is when the fun started and people started asking things like, "Where's Waldo?" about the $5 million. One of the jokes was Amoroso buried the mystery money in the Park of Commerce, stuffing it down a Gopher tortoise hole. There were a lot of other funny jokes, too.

Here is what the consensus is about $5 million mystery: The City did receive grant money in the amount of $1.4 million from the Economic Development Administration and is waiting on additional money from the state legislature for the same purpose. But that still leaves $3.6 million in mystery dollars.

Commissioner Amoroso was Vice-Chairman of the CRA when the agency received $23 million in NSP2 grants to improve the housing stock in our most blighted neighborhoods. But that would mean this 'conspiracy' involved a whole lot more people.

Joking aside, this mailer is akin to throwing everything at the wall and seeing what sticks. It doesn't have to be true or even make sense.

And, that folks, delves into this question: What happened to all the campaigns looking to unseat Mayor Triolo, Vice Mayor Maxwell, and Commissioner Amoroso when they all became so frantic in the weeks prior to election day? Read more about that using this link.

Beach decals are for Lake Worth residents who live in zip code 33460 or limited areas in 33461. The beach decals do not apply to the boat ramp, you may apply for a boat ramp permit separately.

Beach decals and boat ramp permits may be purchased at 414 Lake Avenue in the City Hall Annex building. The beach decal and boat ramp application forms may be downloaded from the City website and brought to 414 Lake Avenue, the Utilities Building.

Located in central Palm Beach County, Lake Worth is a dynamic, multi-cultural city with an individualistic style. People are drawn to the city by its acceptance of different cultures and lifestyles, historic districts, hip downtown and colorful arts district.

St. Andrew's has served the City of Lake Worth for a very long time. Here is a link to learn more about their history. This latest musical event would be an opportunity to see their church located in the City's downtown on one of our "two main streets".

Tuesday, March 29, 2016

[UPDATE: Watch the incredibly cool video at the end of this blog post. Tony Award-winner Ben Vereen wears his #ShadesOfCulture (Twitter hashtag) to support the arts and culture here in The Palm Beaches.]

If you didn't know, the Palm Beach County Cultural Concierge is located right in downtown Lake Worth at the Cultural Council of Palm Beach County. Below is this news from Jan Sjostrom at the Shiny Sheet (aka the Palm Beach Daily News) and take note of the new marketing term "zoomers":

"Any day now you might see ads featuring celebrity artists wearing perky aqua sunglasses popping up on your phone, tablet or laptop. They’re part of the Cultural Council of Palm Beach County’s new $1 million-a-year push to attract tourists to Palm Beach County. Financing comes from a portion of the penny hike to the tax on short-term lodgings that went into effect last year. Florida is Americans’ top domestic tourism destination, according to 2015 figures from Destination Analysts. But there’s considerable in-state competition. 'When people come to Florida they have a lot of choices,' said Marilyn Bauer, the council’s director of marketing and government affairs. 'A lot of places have beaches, scenery and restaurants. What we have is an outstanding cultural community for people who visit year-round. The campaign targets what marketers call 'zoomers,' [emphasis added] that is, tech savvy, well-heeled baby-boomers who have turned from accumulating objects to collecting pleasurable experiences."

Have you ever visited the Visitor Center in downtown Lake Worth? Use this link to find out more about that.

The City of Lake Worth's Visitor Center is located in the Cultural Plaza at the corner of Lake Ave and Federal Hwy.

Here, very simply, is the fact why Mayor Triolo, Vice Mayor Maxwell, and Commissioner Amoroso raised the amounts of money they did leading up to the March 15th elections: They were presented with a very real threat and had to deal with it seriously.

The Anarchists in early January threatened to bring in other Anarchists from all over the U.S. and, in effect, stage a coup d'état against the majority on the City Commission using protests, other unspecified tactics, and forcing PBSO to make arrests of many of them. They framed this all as an innocent "musical"; you can read all about that using this link.

Seating for the 'musical' was to be "based on willingness to risk arrest. Hurrah!"

The 'musical' never happened.

Now put yourself in the shoes of Vice Mayor Scott Maxwell early this year. What was he supposed to do? Ignore the Anarchists? Maxwell did what he had to do: He went on the offensive and fought back with every tool at his disposal. And one of those tools was fundraising. And he did that very well, indeed.

Now some want you to believe that Maxwell, Mayor Triolo, and Commissioner Amoroso won just because they raised more money then their opponents. Hogwash.

Meet the Anarchist candidate Ryan Hartman:

Pretty convincing, isn't it?

Note that the Hartman above is very different from the Hartman that appeared at a City Commission meeting packed with his comrades (watch video below). He treated the City Commission to a terribly rude performance over his primary issue, the homeless, and this is after all the work the City had done to help all the homeless people here in the City:What do you think now? Was the election in Lake Worth "all about the money"? Of course not. Don't let the press, media, and anyone else try to convince you otherwise.

Monday, March 28, 2016

Below is an excerpt from the text of the news segment by NBC5/WPTV's Alex Hagan from yesterday (3/27):

"Palm Beach County will be home to four teams soon. The Marlins and Cardinals are already at Roger Dean stadium in Jupiter. The Nationals and Astros join them in 2017 at their new West Palm Beach facility. The Mets are also nearby in Port Saint Lucie. 'Getting a 6th team within the area which tees us up,' says County Vice Mayor Hal Valeche, who hosted Braves executives last week. The key question is payment, and county leaders say a bed tax revenue could be an option. 'Which is paid not really by local taxpayers. It's paid by tourists,' says Valeche. The Braves' spring training home was in West Palm Beach from 1963–1997 before they relocated to Orlando."

The video of the news segment:
*Hopefully the Braves baseball organization will understand how much grassroots support there is for a Spring Training facility at John Prince Park. Possibly this blog post went some way in clueing them in on the "lay of the land" so to speak.

Click here for a link to an article that briefly highlights a genre of building not normally worthy of high praise in our present 21st century built environment: The gas station. The examples are thoughtful designs that made up much of the highway architecture common when US 1 was the primary means of travel through to and through south Florida. Imagine these gas stations lining Dixie Hwy. in its heyday?

Beyond gas stations, below are two pictures of Lake Worth highway architecture, not gas stations but restaurants, that graced our section Dixie Hwy. One survives today and the other does not.

Formerly at the southeast corner of Cornell Drive and N. Dixie Hwy. in Lake Worth. The property is now a vacant lot.

Below is good news if you have pills and other medical products you want to dispose of. This information first appeared in the The Palm Beach Post earlier this month and there is a glaring editing error (read below) about one of the locations given .

If you're planning to attend this event it will be held at Palm Beach State College in suburban Lake Worth located west of the City, it will be held today, at the Public Safety Conference Center, Room 108:

The Public Safety Conference Center is located near the Fire Academy Complex along the Keller Canal.

"The keynote speaker is Palm Beach County State Attorney Dave Aronberg. The other panelists:

Mark Bannon, executive director of the Palm Beach County Commission on Ethics

Kim Ardila-Morgan, director of the Center for Applied Ethics at Palm Beach State College

John Carey, Palm Beach County’s Inspector General

The event is free and open to the public. For more information call 561-868-3545."

*A "Pinned Post" is kept at (or near) the top of the blog for an unspecified amount of time.†Contrary to what the media will have you believe, Palm Beach State College is not "in Lake Worth". To learn more go to the right-hand column of this blog and look for "Are you a print or TV news reporter? Do you know the City limits of Lake Worth?"

Sunday, March 27, 2016

Official White House photograph of President Barack Obama. Students from the Academy for Positive Learning in Lake Worth went to Cuba to observe the President's visit. Read more about that below:

This is one of those Must Read! articles in the Post. The newspaper assigned one of their premier social scene reporters to this Lake Worth story, Liz Balmaseda. Below are two excerpts from the article:

"Cuba’s most curious visitors this week did not arrive aboard Air Force One. They did not command the attention of the foreign press, make headlines in Miami or draw the cheers of the Cuban people. Not
unless you count the schoolchildren who greeted the group of middle
school students visiting from a Palm Beach County charter school. The small group of students from the Academy for Positive Learning in Lake Worth traveled to the island five days before President Barack Obama and his family made their historic trip to Havana. Accompanied
by their principal, Renatta Adan-Espinoza, the kids arrived with
suitcases filled with school supplies for the Cuban children – markers,
colored pencils, glue, the things that are difficult to find in the
impoverished, Communist-ruled country.[emphasis added]"

[and. . .]

"The principal’s daughter, 11th
grader Victoria Espinoza, took a video of the plane on the tarmac. They
all craned for a look, but could not see Obama and his family. They
cheered, nevertheless. 'When President Obama landed I couldn’t
believe I was in a two-mile radius of the President of the United
States,' said [Christina] Paszkiewicz, the eighth grader. 'It was a crazy thought
that the man who runs our country was just on the other side of a wall.'Another kind of thrill awaited in Miami once they landed, recalled the principal. 'The kids were screaming, ‘Oh my gosh, toilet paper!' "

Thank you for the wonderful article, Liz Balmaseda!

Never thought I'd see these words on TV: 'Air Force 1 approaches Havana.' Hope POTUS' trip is eye-opening, and beneficial for the Cuban ppl